Polk County, Tennessee: commercial real estate data.
Polk County, Tennessee has a population of 17,898 across 435 square miles, up 4.5 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $482.6 m in 2024, 238 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 13 7(a) approvals worth $8.1 m.
119 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Polk County
How many people live in Polk County
- Population17,898
- Households7,424
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$62,522
- Median age46.9
- Median gross rent$676 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$169,900
- Home value to household income2.7 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income13.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree7.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over13,282
- Population under 183,356
- Share under 1818.8 percent
- Population 65 and over3,764
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6410,778
- Civilian labor force7,967
- Unemployment rate5.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over54.8 percent
- Rank by population among Tennessee counties71st of 95
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents1995th
Polk County is the 71st largest of 95 Tennessee counties by population. A median home costs 2.7 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.0 percent against 18.8 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Polk County
Is Polk County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.53 percent
- Census 2020 base population17,544
- Births, 2024148
- Deaths, 2024300
- Natural change, 2024-152
- Net domestic migration, 2024425
- Net international migration, 20240
- Total net migration, 2024425
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,399
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents613th
The county has grown 4.53 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Polk County
Where people moving to Polk County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving647
- People arriving, from those returns1,174
- Adjusted gross income arriving$42.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$64,904
- Largest single originPolk County Non-migrants (5,745 households)
- Largest single destination (5,745 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Non-migrants | 5,745 | 12,027 | $341.3 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 300 | 513 | $23.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 205 | 347 | $15.9 m |
| Bradley County | 175 | 355 | $8.2 m |
| Other flows - Same State | 51 | 87 | $3.5 m |
| Hamilton County | 47 | 90 | $3.5 m |
| McMinn County | 39 | 64 | $1.7 m |
| Other flows - West | 38 | 76 | $3.6 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Polk County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Polk County
What the Polk County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$482.6 m
- County GDP, 2023$444.5 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20248.6 percent
- GDP change over five years44.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among Tennessee counties78th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents2424th
- GDP per resident$26,963
Output grew 8.6 percent in the latest year and 44.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Polk County
Who employs people in Polk County
- Covered employment, annual average2,759
- Establishments reporting340
- Average annual pay$41,945
- Average weekly wage$807
- Sector 44-45, employment378
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,935
- Sector 72, employment330
- Sector 72, average annual pay$20,603
- Sector 31-33, employment244
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$44,170
- Sector 71, employment241
- Sector 71, average annual pay$14,367
- Sector 23, employment125
- Sector 56, employment71
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 378 | 50 | $32,935 |
| Sector 72 | 330 | 33 | $20,603 |
| Sector 31-33 | 244 | 18 | $44,170 |
| Sector 71 | 241 | 22 | $14,367 |
| Sector 23 | 125 | 29 | $48,632 |
| Sector 56 | 71 | 8 | $60,598 |
| Sector 53 | 70 | 7 | $46,606 |
| Sector 52 | 63 | 15 | $74,129 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 378 jobs, 13.7 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Polk County
What businesses operate in Polk County
- Establishments, all industries238
- Employment at those establishments1,478
- Annual payroll$56.5 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents13.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Polk County
What is being built in Polk County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024211
- Declared construction value permitted$38.2 m
- Single family units authorised211
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$181,115
- Units authorised per 1,000 households28.4
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Polk County
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County
- 7(a) approvals recorded13
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$626,338
- Median 7(a) approval$325,000
- 10th percentile approval$150,000
- 90th percentile approval$1,544,000
- Largest single approval$2,180,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)76
- Jobs per approval5.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active8
- Distinct industries receiving approvals9
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer30.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter8
- Franchise loans2
- Franchise share of approvals15.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countBroilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (3)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (4)
- 504 approvals recorded1
- 504 gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 504 approval$1,192,000
- Median 504 approval$1,192,000
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval17.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.3
- Most active CDCBrightbridge, Inc. (1)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals92.9 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$9.3 m
The average approval of $626,338 sits well above the median of $325,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. 30.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms of 240 months or more, so this is a market where SBA credit is buying buildings, not just funding operations.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
Do SBA loans in Polk County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded3
- Paid in full3
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full3
- Status: Exempt from disclosure9
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 3 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
Which parts of Polk County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending5
- OCOEE, approvals6
- Benton, approvals4
- DELANO, approvals1
- MARYVILLE, approvals1
- Old Fort, approvals1
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| OCOEE | 6 | $4,845,000 |
| Benton | 4 | $2,739,400 |
| DELANO | 1 | $83,000 |
| MARYVILLE | 1 | $150,000 |
| Old Fort | 1 | $325,000 |
OCOEE accounts for 6 approvals against 4 in Benton. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Polk County
How big is Polk County
- Land area435 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Tennessee counties48th of 95
- Width, east to west27.4 mi
- Height, north to south20.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land41
- Establishments per square mile0.55
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Polk County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Polk County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population17,898
- Households7,424
- Average household size2.41
- Median household income$62,522
- Median age46.9
Common questions
Polk County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Polk County, Tennessee?
17,898, in 7,424 households, ranking 71st of 95 Tennessee counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Polk County growing?
The population has grown 4.53 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 148 births against 300 deaths, with net migration of 425. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Polk County?
$62,522. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $169,900, which is 2.7 times income, and median gross rent is $676 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Polk County?
238 establishments, employing 1,478 people with an annual payroll of $56.5 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Polk County?
Average annual pay is $41,945, or $807 a week, across 2,759 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Polk County?
13 7(a) approvals totalling $8.1 m since FY2020, across 8 lenders, with a median approval of $325,000, plus 1 504 approvals worth $1.2 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Polk County?
211 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $38.2 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Polk County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Polk County come from?
The largest single origin is Polk County Non-migrants, with 5,745 households. Arriving households report an average income of $64,904 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Polk County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Polk County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.